>> Eric: KATE'S THE BEST.

THE END OF THE HOUR IS NEAR AND SO IT IS MINNESOTA HISTORY TIME!

LAST WEEK CATHY TOOK US BACK TO LATE SEPTEMBER OF 1994.

AN "ALMANAC" GUEST TRAVELED FROM MORE THAN 100 MILES AWAY TO SIT AT THE TABLE HERE IN STUDIO B. HE OR SHE BROUGHT ALONG A LARGE PROP.

THIS GUEST BOLDLY ANNOUNCES THAT THE "GOAL" IS TO SET A WORLD RECORD WHEN THE SCALE MODEL BECOMES LARGER THAN LIFE REALITY.

OUR QUESTION WAS QUITE SIMPLE FOR YOU - WHAT "BIG THING" WAS THE FOCUS OF THE "ALMANAC" CONVERSATION IN SEPTEMBER OF 1994?

WE OFFERED EXTRA CREDIT FOR GUEST NAME OR DETAILS ON THE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING THE EVENTUAL WORLD RECORD.

APPARENTLY YOU DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH HINTS ON THIS ONE, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS ONE OF THE HISTORY FACTS ON SCREEN EARLIER IN THE SHOW.

WE DIDN'T GET MANY CALLS.

HERE'S A COUPLE OF WRONG ANSWERS.

>> ERIC: AH, NO, THERE WAS NOT A LARGE-SCALE MODEL OF A STURGEON ON THE "ALMANAC" TABLE.

THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN COOL.

THE PRODUCERS' OTHER FAVORITE ANSWER CAME IN VIA EMAIL, FROM VIEWER THERESA, WHO HAD VOWED TO STOP RESEARCHING OUR HISTORY QUESTIONS BUT DECIDED TO TURN TO AI TO HELP HER OUT.

THIS WAS THE BEST THAT COPILOT COULD DO FOR HER.

THE BIG THING WAS THE MODEL OF DARWIN'S OF MINNESOTA WORLD'S LARGEST BALL OF TWINE.

>> ERIC: WELL, TERESA, YOU ARE RIGHT THAT IT DOESN'T COUNT.

BECAUSE AI WAS NOT RIGHT.

IN FACT, I THINK VIEWERS WHO CLAIM TO HAVE USED AI TO RESEARCH THE INDEX FILE QUESTION ARE O-FER IN THE RIGHT ANSWER COLUMN.

FOR TONIGHT'S RIGHT ANSWER, WE TURN TO STEVEN OUT OF RICHFIELD.

>> ERIC: YES, STEVEN, YOU ARE CORRECT.

ON SEPTEMBER 23, 1994, EVELETH BUSINESS OWNER JERRY FREMMER BROUGHT A SCALE MODEL OF A GIANT HOCKEY STICK AND PUT IT ON THE TABLE IN STUDIO B. A REAL GIANT WOODEN STICK WAS EVENTUALLY BUILT IN EVELETH, THEN AT SOME POINT REPLACED BY ANOTHER ONE.

AFTER SOME CONTROVERSY, THE GIANT WOODEN HOCKEY STICK WAS GIVEN A WORLD RECORD.

WANT MORE DETAILS?

I'D SUGGEST YOU GIVE GOOGLE A TRY AND NOT AI.

WE HAVE JUST ENOUGH TIME LEFT FOR ANOTHER SONG BY CANTUS.

REMINDER THEIR FALL CONCERT SERIES IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER.

YOU CAN FIND ALL THE DETAILS ON THEIR WEBSITE, CANTUSSINGS.ORG.

>> Cathy: BY THE WAY, BEFORE THEY START TO SING, ONE FINAL GOOD-BYE TO OUR BELOVED, BELOVED PRODUCER KARI KENNEDY, THESE ARE GOING TO BE FOR YOU MY FRIEND.

GO HAVE AN ADULT BEVERAGE.

>> Eric: ENJOY FRIDAY NIGHTS.

>> Cathy: BYE-BYE.

♪ VOCALIZING ♪ ♪ AND THERE WAS DAY AND THERE WAS NIGHT ♪ ♪ AND THERE WAS DARK AND HERE WAS LIGHT ♪ ♪ THERE WAS THE EARTH, THERE WAS THE SKY ♪ ♪ AND THERE IN THE TREE THERE CRAWLED A LIE ♪ ♪ VOCALIZING ♪ ♪ THERE IN EDEN THERE WAS GOOD ♪ THERE IN THE GARDEN WHERE THE TREE OF LIFE STOOD ♪ ♪ THERE IN THE GARDEN WHERE THE TREE OF LIFE STOOD ♪ ♪ THERE THE SNAKE WAS, THERE WAS PAIN ♪ ♪ AND WE'RE TRYIN' TO GET BACK TO THE GARDEN AGAIN ♪ ♪ TRYIN' TO GET BACK TO THE GARDEN AGAIN ♪ ♪ VOCALIZING ♪ >> "ALMANAC" IS MADE POSSIBLE BY MEMBERS OF THIS PUBLIC TELEVISION STATION.

SUPPORT IS ALSO PROVIDED BY GREAT RIVER ENERGY, PROVIDING WHOLESALE POWER TO 1.7 MILLION PEOPLE THROUGH ITS MEMBER OWNER COOPERATIVES AND CUSTOMERS.

DELTADENTAL OF MINNESOTA FOUNDATION, IMPROVING ORAL HEALTH AND HELPING COMMUNITIES THRIVE.

DELTADENTALMN.ORG/TPT.

EDUCATION MINNESOTA, THE VOICE FOR PROFESSIONAL EDUCATORS AND STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE, MORE AT EDUCATIONMINNESOTA.ORG.

AND VANESSA DAYTON THROUGH THE HEALTHCARE FOR ALL MINNESOTANS FUND SUPPORTING ACCESSIBLE HEALTHCARE STATEWIDE.

"ALMANAC" IS A PRODUCTION OF TWIN CITIES PBS FOR THE STATIONS OF MINNESOTA PUBLIC TELEVISION ASSOCIATION.